General Election - Feb 26th Megathread

Baggy Trousers

thattequilagirl wrote: »

I canvassed for the Social Democrats this evening. Got a good reaction on the doors. Unfortunately there's a bit of a Catch22, where people want something new but they don't want to vote for someone they've never seen before. I'm not sure my candidate will make it across the line; he's very transfer-friendly but I don't know if he will get those all important number ones.

Niall O'Tuathail in Galway West I presume. I never heard of him until a few weeks ago but he seems like a genuine and intelligent guy. I am seriously considering giving him my #1. I have a lot of time for Murphy and Donnelly and I think Independent TDs did more good work in the last Dail than any of the major parties. I wish him luck.

Richard Hillman

Quest wrote: »

Interesting that FF are so low in this poll compared to the national polls MRBI, Red C etc. Does that say something about the kind of people who vote in online polls? (There's a thesis in that!)

I predict FF will do about 5 points better than their average poll result.

I always thought that this election will be about the silent Fine Gael voter but the longer this is going on, I think it could be Fianna Fail that have the silent vote.

Baggy Trousers

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I always thought that this election will be about the silent Fine Gael voter but the longer this is going on, I think it could be Fianna Fail that have the silent vote.

You could be right. I get the impression that FF voters (I have never been one ) loaned FG their votes in 2011 and FG were very ineffective. Will those votes go straight back to FF or try elsewhere. Hard to know.

thattequilagirl

Baggy Trousers wrote: »

Niall O'Tuathail in Galway West I presume. I never heard of him until a few weeks ago but he seems like a genuine and intelligent guy. I am seriously considering giving him my #1. I have a lot of time for Murphy and Donnelly and I think Independent TDs did more good work in the last Dail than any of the major parties. I wish him luck.

Nope I'll be voting in Galway but I'm canvassing in Dublin. Niall is a great fella though, I'd give him my number one if he was in my constituency. (I'm Galway East)

recylingbin

thattequilagirl wrote: »

I canvassed for the Social Democrats this evening. Got a good reaction on the doors. Unfortunately there's a bit of a Catch22, where people want something new but they don't want to vote for someone they've never seen before. I'm not sure my candidate will make it across the line; he's very transfer-friendly but I don't know if he will get those all important number ones.

What kind of things were you asked?

KomradeBishop

Billy86 wrote: »

It's not pedantic that words have definitions, and when you use terms like 'literally anyone' you mean, well, literally anyone.

And then we've got the question of what would the others have done so differently over the last 5 years, if the path was already laid for them by world markets/the EU/IMF/FF etc as so many like to claim?

Yes words do have definitions, and look at the definition of the world 'literally'

informal Used for emphasis while not being literally true:

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/literally?q=literally

in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/literally

Which is exactly the manner in which I used to word - vote for literally anyone, other than FF/FG/Labour - as in, vote for virtually anyone other than FF/FG/Labour.


Do you still want to be pedantic/nitpicking about the definition of words?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Just for clarity: You only quoted the informal definition.

Formal; in a literal manner or sense; exactly.

Not that it matters, as the nitpicking here is worse that the leaders debate.

Billy86

Skye Enough Oak wrote: »

Just for clarity: You only quoted the informal definition.

Formal; in a literal manner or sense; exactly.

Not that it matters, as the nitpicking here is worse that the leaders debate.

It shouldnt even need mentioning to be honest, but cheers all the same. Of course, then comes the next logical loophole to jump through, in order to show FG have been terrible on employment, despite them not being terrible on employment.

FalconGirl

thattequilagirl wrote: »

Nope I'll be voting in Galway but I'm canvassing in Dublin. Niall is a great fella though, I'd give him my number one if he was in my constituency. (I'm Galway East)

Fair play to you. Would love to the same if I could find the time between work and night college. I think I'll get involved locally at some point. I'm looking on at the SD's as a real hope for this country if the right people begin to get involved. Catherine Murphy is my local TD. Her vote was secured a long time ago being a fantastic representative for the country with huge integrity.

Galwayguy35

thattequilagirl wrote: »

I canvassed for the Social Democrats this evening. Got a good reaction on the doors. Unfortunately there's a bit of a Catch22, where people want something new but they don't want to vote for someone they've never seen before. I'm not sure my candidate will make it across the line; he's very transfer-friendly but I don't know if he will get those all important number ones.

So how come they aren't running a candidate here in Galway East, I guess rural issues aren't that important to them.

Jack Killian

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

So how come they aren't running a candidate here in Galway East, I guess rural issues aren't that important to them.

Pathetic swipe. If no-one local puts themselves forward what do you want them to do ? Get a candidate to move there ?

Galwayguy35

Jack Killian wrote: »

Pathetic swipe. If no-one local puts themselves forward what do you want them to do ? Get a candidate to move there ?

Ah dry up, it's a reasonable question to ask.

Jack Killian

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Ah dry up, it's a reasonable question to ask.

The question was. The sentence/assertion that followed wasn't.

Galwayguy35

Jack Killian wrote: »

The question was. The sentence/assertion that followed wasn't.

I stand over what I said, nearly all those parties on the left are based in urban areas where they can mop up easy votes and not be asked any difficult questions as long as they tell voters what they want to hear.

Jack Killian

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

I stand over what I said, nearly all those parties on the left are based in urban areas where they can mop up easy votes and not be asked any difficult questions as long as they tell voters what they want to hear.

So tell us - who are you voting for who doesn't just "tell voters what they want to hear" ?

BTW - my vote is about as far from "easily mopped up" as you get.

Galwayguy35

Jack Killian wrote: »

So tell us - who are you voting for who doesn't just "tell voters what they want to hear" ?

BTW - my vote is about as far from "easily mopped up" as you get.

I'll vote the FG guy back in, I've voted FF and Ind in previous elections so this will be my first time voting FG.

So who are you voting for, how about you put your cards on the table as well.

Jack Killian

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

I'll vote the FG guy back in, I've voted FF and Ind in previous elections so this will be my first time voting FG.

So who are you voting for, how about you put your cards on the table as well.

Have done already.

1. SD + 2. Ind

Nothing worth considering beyond those, as they're FG, Lab, FF, SF, Green, a Renua reject gone Indo and a final Indo - some ultra right-wing catholic nutjob.

Edit : forgot that AAA are in there as well; it's VERY tempting to use as a blocker but I respect my vote too much.

Galwayguy35

Jack Killian wrote: »

Have done already.

1. SD + 2. Ind

Nothing worth considering beyond those, as they're FG, Lab, FF, SF, Green, a Renua reject gone Indo and a final Indo - some ultra right-wing catholic nutjob.

Edit : forgot that AAA are in there as well; it's VERY tempting to use as a blocker but I respect my vote too much.

Ya might have to rethink your view on SF, FF or even FG after the election, you're glorious leader Donnelly might be hopping into bed with one of them.

Jack Killian

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Ya might have to rethink your view on SF, FF or even FG after the election, you're glorious leader Donnelly might be hopping into bed with one of them.

Not my "glorious leader" at all. I'm only a 44% match for their views, based on smartvote.ie, but it's the best of a bad lot and reflects the leaders debate too. Your first choice party came in at 8%, despite me voting for them the last 3 elections and getting royally betrayed once they actually got power.

Re the 8% : it'd be even less if one of the questions was "do you turn a blind eye to corruption?"

The Randy Riverbeast

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

So how come they aren't running a candidate here in Galway East, I guess rural issues aren't that important to them.

Don't they have only about 14 people in the election? The idea that they are more likely to have people representing them in highly populated areas is hardly a shock.

Stigura

Well; My post box was fair stuffed with leaflets today. As I always do, I sat and read every word on every one of them. Then slung them in the stove, as I have with the previous ones.

Then I realised: 1. No party, or candidate, has caught my eye. 2. No bugger's appeared at my gate. 3. If I can't get a lift to the school .....?

Grim.

Galwayguy35

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

So how come they aren't running a candidate here in Galway East, I guess rural issues aren't that important to them.

They certainly seem a bit...light on agricultural policy in the manifesto, it seems to be a general "be nice to farmers"...

thee glitz

KomradeBishop wrote: »

Yes words do have definitions, and look at the definition of the world 'literally'

informal Used for emphasis while not being literally true:

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/literally?q=literally

You can't use the word in the definition!

Also, the dictionary meaning of literally is 'not literally'?

homerjay2005

what type of a bike will Sinn Fein voter get next Christmas?

your bike...

KomradeBishop

thee glitz wrote: »

You can't use the word in the definition!

Also, the dictionary meaning of literally is 'not literally'?

Yea they literally broke the word a number of years ago

snubbleste

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

So how come they aren't running a candidate here in Galway East, I guess rural issues aren't that important to them.

Because GalwayEast is the most boring constituency. No offence

Baggy Trousers

snubbleste wrote: »

Because GalwayEast is the most boring constituency. No offence

It is a horribly boring constituency when compared to Galway West.

By God we have an absolute smorgasbord of loodermawns in Galway West!

JackieBauer

Do I have to vote 1, 2 and 3? If I only want to vote for two candidates and leave out number 3, will my vote be valid?

JackieBauer

JackieBauer wrote: »

If I only want to vote for two candidates and leave out number 3, will my vote be valid?

Yes, you can give only a 1st preference, give all your preferences and anything in between once you respect the rules i.e. write only a number, in the correct place, don't write anything else on the ballot paper etc.

AnCatDubh

JackieBauer wrote: »

Do I have to vote 1, 2 and 3? If I only want to vote for two candidates and leave out number 3, will my vote be valid?

Vote as many candidates as you would like in a sequential manner starting at 1 - so, 1,2,3,4,5 from first preference to last preference of candidate.

If you only want to vote for two candidates then vote 1, then 2.

Just start at 1 and continue sequentially to avoid confusion or vote being spoiled or any such like. No other marks on the ballot paper (resist the urge to write what you may really think of some of them )

keeponhurling

sid waddell wrote: »

"All brought on by your own actions", said Fine Gael TD Regina Doherty to Gerry Adams on LMFM's "Michael Reade Show" this morning, in reference to an unprovoked, sectarian massacre by a drunk, off-duty RUC man at Adams' West Belfast Sinn Fein constituency office on February 4th, 1992, in which three civilians were murdered.

Just let that sink in.

Could one imagine what the reaction from both Fine Gael and the media would be if Gerry Adams had, hypothetically, said: "The Kingsmills massacre was brought on by the RUC's actions". or even "Michael Collins' death was brought on by his own actions"?

Because it would amount to effectively the same thing as what Doherty said.

Will our media scrutinise Doherty's comments in the same way it does to almost every comment a Sinn Fein member makes?

This was an entirely unprovoked, sectarian massacre of civilians she was referring to here. And it wasn't the only such incident she was referring to which was supposedly "brought on by Adams' own actions".

She was also referring to the murder of two members of Gerry Adams' family by Loyalist paramilitaries and the British Army respectively, the shooting of his brother, his own shooting by Loyalist paramilitaries in 1984, and the bombing of his office.

These incidents were mentioned immediately before the reference to the 1992 massacre.

"All brought on by his own actions", according to Regina Doherty.

I think any decent citizen, regardless of their political affiliation, would feel disturbed and affronted at a Fine Gael politician effectively saying that "you brought it on yourself" (and I refer to Gerry Adams as "yourself" here, for clarity and accuracy) about an unprovoked sectarian massacre of civilians at Adams' constituency office, as if there is any valid reason for an unprovoked sectarian massacre of civilians.

I would encourage everybody to listen to the relevant part of the debate "in the round" (from 1 hour and 5 minutes on here: http://www.lmfm.ie/Podcasts/Podcasts/Show?showalias=the-michael-reade-show-1#7431 so as to gauge the full context in which the remarks were made. That context is clear and unambiguous, and for Regina Doherty and Fine Gael, is nothing short of an appalling reflection on them.

That is incredibly insensitive to the murder victims.

Not sure if it reflects on all FG, you'd imagine Enda will be having strong words with her, or she could be kicked out of the party.

FG are strong favourites for another term in power - the last thing Enda needs now is a scandal like this to derail things at the last minute.

CFlat

Employment up to 1.98 million. The highest it's been since 2009. Fair deuce to Fianna Fail, they've done a great job over the last five years.

uch

snubbleste wrote: »

Because GalwayEast is the most boring constituency. No offence

Ah sure nothing a few Healy-Rae's wouldn't sort out

Harry Palmr

Politics.ie poll

http://www.politics.ie/forum/general-election/246198-politics-ie-poll-how-will-you-vote-general-election-52.html

Fascinating to see the difference (or not) between a random mixed bag of users here and political wonks over there. It seems the only difference is the big one FG or SF!

thattequilagirl

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

So how come they aren't running a candidate here in Galway East, I guess rural issues aren't that important to them.

The Social Democrats are a new party formed seven months ago; they don't have enough people or resources to run candidates nationwide - there are only 14 candidates in this election. The short lifespan of the party also goes some way to explaining why they don't have a fully developed policy platform in all areas.

Galwayguy35

snubbleste wrote: »

Because GalwayEast is the most boring constituency. No offence

Very hard to offend us boggers in Galway East

Galwayguy35

thattequilagirl wrote: »

The Social Democrats are a new party formed seven months ago; they don't have enough people or resources to run candidates nationwide - there are only 14 candidates in this election. The short lifespan of the party also goes some way to explaining why they don't have a fully developed policy platform in all areas.

Ok fair enough.

Harry Palmr

Harry Palmr wrote: »

The Social Democrats are a new party formed seven months ago; they don't have enough people or resources to run candidates nationwide - there are only 14 candidates in this election. The short lifespan of the party also goes some way to explaining why they don't have a fully developed policy platform in all areas.

They don't even have a half developed one in some areas, their manifesto is very scant on info about agricultural policy, they have a line or 2 about wind farms, think FF has a 10 page policy document on wind farms alone.

I fully take the point that of course generating such analyses is a laborious process, and they are new. I think they have some very attractive and polished performers in Donnelly, Shortall and Murphy, but they'll need comprehensive policies to attract voters in sufficient droves across rural areas.

https://socialdemocrats.ie/policies/agriculture-and-forestry/

https://www.fiannafail.ie/download/rural-ireland/Wind%20Policy.pdf

lawlolawl

I see one of the candidates in Gerry Adams constituency has received multiple death threats after making a fool out of him in a radio debate.

Stay classy, SF supporters!

LostinKildare

lawlolawl wrote: »

I see one of the candidates in Gerry Adams constituency has received multiple death threats after making a fool out of him in a radio debate.

Stay classy, SF supporters!

Who is that? Do you have a link?

thattequilagirl

Deleted User wrote: »

They don't even have a half developed one in some areas, their manifesto is very scant on info about agricultural policy, they have a line or 2 about wind farms, think FF has a 10 page policy document on wind farms alone.

I fully take the point that of course generating such analyses is a laborious process, and they are new. I think they have some very attractive and polished performers in Donnelly, Shortall and Murphy, but they'll need comprehensive policies to attract voters in sufficient droves across rural areas.

https://socialdemocrats.ie/policies/agriculture-and-forestry/

https://www.fiannafail.ie/download/rural-ireland/Wind%20Policy.pdf

I take your point, but for all FFs well developed policies, they ruined the country. So, there's that.

murpho999

Nobody watching the debate?
Don't see any discussion about it on Boards Politics forum.

Slydice

murpho999 wrote: »

Nobody watching the debate?
Don't see any discussion about it on Boards Politics forum.

there's another forum called Politics Cafe:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1410#

only recently myself realised it's where the GE is getting most discussion

murpho999

Slydice wrote: »

there's another forum called Politics Cafe:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1410#

only recently myself realised it's where the GE is getting most discussion

Yes, just found it, thanks. Bizzare place to put it imho.

thattequilagirl

thattequilagirl wrote: »

I take your point, but for all FFs well developed policies, they ruined the country. So, there's that.

You're not exactly selling the Social Democrats.

Ye have no absolutely no policies on agriculture
Yeah...well like...FF ruined the country.

Capt'n Midnight

JackieBauer wrote: »

Do I have to vote 1, 2 and 3? If I only want to vote for two candidates and leave out number 3, will my vote be valid?

Just put the number(s) starting from 1 in the box(es). You don't need to fill them all.

The way voting here works is that if you vote for someone and your vote isn't needed by them , because it's surplus or they are eliminated, then your vote can be passed on to your next choice. The thing to remember is that this also happens to everyone else's vote too.

The big thing to remember is that if you can't stand a candidate then not filling the other boxes means a situation may arise where you haven't voted against them.

Sometimes it's easier to vote from the bottom up starting with the ones you detest the most.

Sounds like there's a creaking door in the studio...

thattequilagirl

Deleted User wrote: »

You're not exactly selling the Social Democrats.

Ye have no absolutely no policies on agriculture
Yeah...well like...FF ruined the country.

I wasn't trying to sell the SocDems, I was pointing out that well developed policies mean nothing if you don't implement them in power.

The SocDems have launched detailed policies on education, housing and health, among others, with original, workable ideas like support for credit unions as an alternative to banks for people who need loans, creating a Minister for Housing to tackle the rental crisis, homelessness and our boom/bust cycle, and creating an Irish NHS.

They support repealing the 8th and holding a constitutional convention to decide what replaces it.

They are refusing to engage in populist auction politics, so because they want to invest in services, they are not guaranteeing tax cuts for now (any politician guaranteeing you improved services and tax cuts is lying to you)

thattequilagirl

thattequilagirl wrote: »

I wasn't trying to sell the SocDems, I was pointing out that well developed policies mean nothing if you don't implement them in power.

Considering the boom in agri food under successive Governments, a sector now worth tens of billions to our country, I'm not clear which policies you felt were not implemented.

It sounds like waffle tbh. I noted that SD seem to have very poorly developed policies about agriculture. You said FF ruined the country and have followed up with something about abortion, that credit unions are great and the housing crisis? Across huge swathes of rural Ireland the housing crisis is something we hear about on the radio, we see houses with lights out and the effects of depopulation, not overpopulation. Having policies on agriculture and issues of specific concern to rural Ireland (such as wind farms) is pretty basic.

thattequilagirl

Deleted User wrote: »

Considering the boom in agri food under successive Governments, a sector now worth tens of billions to our country, I'm not clear which policies you felt were not implemented.

I was talking about FF as a whole, not specifically as related to agriculture.

It really bothers me that the West never gets decent representation in government because people vote single-issue politicians in like Michael Fitzmaurice. So we have a great farmer and man of the people who can talk about rural issues, but nothing to offer in terms of what we need in a wider sense for health, education and social justice.

FF is a political machine that has back room staffers churning out policy constantly. The SocDems are a fledgling party with no funding and 3 TDs. Expecting them to have the same level of policy isn't reasonable. I have no doubt that as time goes on and they start running more candidates in rural areas, a coherent policy will be developed. In the meantime. I highly doubt if they got into government they would have the agriculture ministry.